THE MIGHTY TEAM

David Gale, Co-Founder and CEO

David built on his accomplished career as a filmmaker and industry leader with the creation of WATM. WATM’s team of veteran creators and media experts have fostered a strong connection with the mil-vet community through authentic storytelling and strong community engagement. WATM is central to veterans seeking careers in film, TV and media and is a trusted gateway for clients and partners who want to connect creatively and with America’s 114 million service members, veterans and their families. While at the helm of various top production companies, including running divisions at MTV Networks, David produced 27 films which generated more than $1 billion in box office revenue and earned dozens of awards and nominations including Oscars, Independent Spirit and Golden Globes. He is recognized for launching the careers of some of Hollywood’s best-known talent, consistently producing memorable and profitable entertainment, and being an innovator where technology and media intersect. David is the son of a WWII veteran who gave his family a deep appreciation for the military. He is the founder of nonprofit Hollywood HEART.

Linda Alexander, Co-Founder and EVP Communications and Corporate Development

Throughout her more than 25-year career at Viacom, Linda was a key player in leading the Company’s domestic and international communications strategy for both corporate and consumer-facing initiatives. She was involved in the launch of dozens of channels and related brands around the world including MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central as well as generation-defining programming like MTV Unplugged, The Real World, Rugrats, and SpongeBob. Linda also helped launch such iconic events as the Video Music Awards, The Europe Awards and Kids Choice Awards. She was instrumental in Viacom’s expansion into Los Angeles to become a creative powerhouse. Linda’s father served in the Navy and spent his civilian career supporting and serving the community as a physician for the VA.

Mark Harper, EVP Operations and Strategy

Mark is a former Air Force Combat Camera officer who led teams worldwide in support of wartime operations, joint exercises, natural disaster relief and humanitarian operations. Following his military service, Mark earned his MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School. Prior to joining WATM, he held marketing and business development positions at Paramount Pictures, Technicolor and Audeze.

Jonathan Epstein, SVP of Engineering

Jonathan is responsible for WATM’s web development and system and advertising operations. Previously he was head of research and development at Sabertooth Interactive where he developed the popular recruiting tool Army at the Ready and over 100 projects for companies such as Hyundai USA, Ford/Team Detroit, Electronic Arts/Draftfcb, Doritos/JWT, Saban Brands, and Viacom.

Christian Lowe, Editorial Director

Christian is a reporter and digital editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the U.S. military at home and abroad. He deployed six times to Iraq and Afghanistan as an embedded reporter and has covered all the services in the conflict zone, on base and in the halls of Capitol Hill and the Pentagon. Christian worked previously at Defense Week, Army Times, Defense News and Military.com and has been published in a variety of national newspapers, magazines and websites. He co-produced an Emmy-nominated documentary about Marine Corps officer training and received the Associated Press Managing Editors Association award for investigative reporting.

OV is a Navy veteran and an expert in social media and entertainment marketing. He joined WATM from the music electronics company Roland where he created social media outreach and growth strategies that became Roland’s worldwide corporate standard. Before that, OV managed social media and promotions for Madison Square Garden and Clear Channel Radio.

Weston Scott, Executive Producer

Weston is a Marine Corps veteran with a range of expertise in film and television, from military and tactical advisor to actor, correspondent, on-air personality, producer and filmmaker. His passion for adventure landed him dozens of film and TV projects including J.A.G., N.C.I.S., C.S.I NY, Jarhead, Transformers 4, and Superman vs. Batman: Dawn of Justice.

Mark Hyatt, EVP of Brand Partnerships

Mark is an award-winning producer of film, TV and commercials with expertise in branded content and broadcast advertising. His work includes executing campaigns for leading global brands such as Nike, Ford, Toyota, Samsung, and NBC Sports, among others. Mark oversees WATM’s branded content business, working with clients and content creators to deliver impactful campaigns that leave a lasting and meaningful impression with our audience. Mark earned his MBA from Columbia University and the University of California, Berkeley.

Philip Hladky, VP Sales

Philip is a Marine Corps veteran and an award-winning digital media sales professional. Philip began his post-military career at the National Journal where he demonstrated consistent sales success for GovExec.com. His work in forging partnerships with Fortune 500 companies and developing ad campaigns at Military.com rounds out his two-decade career before joining WATM.

Jared Hoffman, SVP Finance

Jared is an escapee from the live concert, recording, and music technology industries with over 20 years of financial leadership experience. As CFO for To The Fallen Entertainment (TTFE), Jared helped deliver live concert entertainment to military bases around the world. His affinity and support for our military and veteran community may well be the byproduct of time spent as a military brat on-base at Barksdale AFB. Jared earned his MBA from Columbia University and A.B. from Harvard University.

Tim Kirkpatrick, Editorial Coordinator

Tim is a Navy veteran who served with 3rd Battalion 5th Marines (Known as Dark Horse) as an FMF Hospital Corpsman during the legendary battle in Sangin, Afghanistan, in the fall of 2010. Following his military service, Tim pursued filmmaking, attending the New York Film Academy where he earned degrees in both film production and screenwriting. Tim has successfully written, produced, and directed several short films, music videos, and commercials.

Raul Barragan, Sr. Sales Planner

Raul is an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan. He began his career at Discovery Communications working with a range of clients including Toyota and Walt Disney Pictures. When Raul moved to the Agency side of the business at Omnicom Media Group, he worked with Warner Brothers on campaigns for Storks, The Accountant, Sully and Collateral Beauty. He has an MBA from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business.

Tal Rosenblum, Associate Graphic Designer

Tal is a recent graduate from R.I.T.’s Industrial Design program and has since worked up-and-down the West Coast with both small and large clients. His work in San Francisco ranged from graphic, product, and web design; and in LA, he had a minor technical role at a VFX company. He’s now pixel-pushing his way to glory at WATM.

Matthew Archambault, SVP Media Sales

Matt has 17-years of experience in the media and advertising industries, having initially honed his skills on the agency side between MEC, Mindshare & OMD. He subsequently made the shift to the publisher business, helping shape, define and build the brand/sales teams and propositions at Newsweek, BBC and adRise. Matt leads the sales team at WATM, delivering bespoke solutions for brand partners. He earned his degree in Marketing and Economics from Villanova University’s School of Business.

Eduardo Braniff, EVP Events

Eduardo is a career branding expert, most recently serving as CEO & Creative Director of Imagination, a design agency that produced large-scale experiences for Ford, Samsung, and Coca-Cola, and has defined culture and brand strategies for Johnson & Johnson, JetBlue and Absolut. Eduardo is a Board member of The Silk Road Project, Independent Shakespeare Co., AIGA Los Angeles.

Chase Millsap, Director of Impact Strategy

Chase served three combat tours in Iraq as a Marine Infantry Officer and as a Green Beret leading counter-terrorism missions in Asia. Chase is on the Board of Directors for No One Left Behind, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting American allies. He produced the short-film, The Captain’s Story in collaboration with National Geographic to highlight the struggles faced by America’s wartime allies. His written works have been published in the Columbia (SIPA) Journal of International Affairs, National Geographic and the Huffington Post. He has appeared on CNN and other media outlets. Chase received a Bachelor of Science degree in History from the U.S. Naval Academy and Masters in Public Policy from the University of Southern California. When he is not trying to save the world, he enjoys hiking in the hills surrounding Los Angeles.

August Dannehl, Sr. Producer and On-Air Talent

August is a former Navy Nuclear Reactor Electrician who grew up in a showbiz family. He received his degree in film from NYU and has worked on a variety of projects for several companies including Stonestreet Studios, Inc., Luminada Films and The Daily Show as a producer, editor and director. His thesis film, The War at Home, is based on true stories of veterans returning home to New York City. His love of cooking and food led the way to being a finalist on the Food Network’s All Star Academy and host of WATM’s Meals Ready toEat, a series featuring the most compelling military food stories from around the world. August is also the voice for “Hurry Up and Watch,” a hilarious rundown of iconic military films in under three minutes.

Ryan Welch, Programs & Inventory Director & Yield Mgr

Ryan is an advertising specialist who has worked on both the agency and publisher side. His career started with strategy and planning campaigns for brands like Disney and Sony. He led one of the first online digital upfronts while working on the Kraft account at MediaVest. Ryan transitioned to sales via Fox Digital Entertainment before joining WATM.

Vannick Douglas, Animator

Marine Corps veteran Vannick Douglas pursued his passion for art and animation after the Corps, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Media Arts and Animation at The Art Institute of Phoenix. He has worked on several YouTube shows, feature films and TV series, including Sara and Mara, Life’s a Jungle: Africa’s Most Wanted, and Little Luis and illustrated the children’s book Syler and the Sandpaper Towel. He created WATM’s award-winning animated series Gunny, which follows a frustrated drill sergeant as he transitions to civilian life and animates WATM’s No Sh*t There I Was series.

Jordan Duke, Director of Development

Jordan has been instrumental in the development of WATM since day one. Previously, he worked at State Street Pictures, DMG Entertainment, Shed Media, and MTVX. His passion for music led to his involvement with Grammy Award-winning Regenerate Music Co. which he helped build from conception into a fully operating music studio and venue. His film, Third Timothy, has screened at the Chicago International Expo, Chicago International Film Festival, Hollywood Black Film Festival and others, and has been distributed on Xfinity Streampix, KweliTV and other digital platforms. Jordan serves on the Executive Leadership Council for nonprofits Hollywood HEART, and Humor For Hope.

David “Logan” Nye, Associate Editor

David is an Army paratrooper and journalist who covered operations in Afghanistan, Bahrain, and inside the U.S. After leaving active duty and joining the reserves, David graduated valedictorian from Full Sail University with a BFA in creative writing. His fiction work has appeared in multiple publications, including PaperTape Magazine and Epiphany.

Blake Stilwell, Sr. Director of Digital Video Content

Blake is a traveler, writer, and erstwhile adventurer with degrees in design, television & film, public relations and international relations. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman and Iraq War veteran who spent time as a field photographer and communications officer in the Middle East and Africa for the Near East Foundation. Blake has also worked for ABC News, NBC, HBO, and the White House.

Shannon Corbeil, Assistant Editor, Producer, and On-Air Talent

Shannon served as an Air Force Intelligence Officer before returning to her home state of California to pursue acting and filmmaking. She’s enjoyed a number of workshops with fellow veterans, including screenwriting at the Writers Guild Foundation, performing at the Geffen Playhouse, and dancing with Diavolo: Architecture in Motion. She’s also a proud ambassador for Pin-Ups for Vets!

Tracy Woodward, Director of Digital Media Strategy

Tracy is a self-proclaimed citizen of the Internet and has crafted social media, email marketing and content writing campaigns for numerous small businesses and nonprofits. In addition, he has an extensive background in sketch and improv comedy and has directed and produced live theatre throughout the United States. He was also a Starfleet cadet in J.J. Abrams’ 2008 Star Trek film but was most likely blown up.

Myles Noland, Sr. Video Editor

Myles is a videographer and video editor. His visual artistry and storytelling skills have been used in the entertainment industry in everything from broadcast commercials, reality television, to The Second City social media channels.

Francisco (Paco) Hamm, Producer

Francisco (Paco) served 23 years in the Air Force as a public affairs and combat camera officer with deployments to Panama, Somalia and two tours in Iraq. As the former Air Force Entertainment Office Liaison Director, he worked on a variety of projects including more than 18 TV shows from Hawaii Five-0 to Army Wives, and National Geographic’s Combat Rescue. He also consulted on several features films such as Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and Iron Man 2. An avid runner, he has run 15 marathons including the LA Marathon twice.

Nicholas Gibeault, Producer

Nicholas, a Marine veteran and Bostonian, graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in TV, film and new media from San Diego State University. His award winning production work in college landed him a gig at Silver Pictures under Joel Silver at Warner Bros. He has produced several pilots and has worked on ground-breaking shows like Shameless, Ray Donovan and Dexter.

Skye Marshall, Host of The Mighty Minute

Skye is a Air Force veteran who served pre and post 911. She studied performing arts from the time she was 8-years-old and graduated from Northeastern Illinois University with honors, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Communication, Media & Theatre (CMT Program). Born in Chicago, Skye resides in LA and part-time in NYC.

Michael Goodnight, Video Editor/Post Production

Mike has been a film producer, music composer for film and video games and a post-production warrior for over 25 years. He has written and cut on-air promos and launched shows for ABC, NBC, Fox, MTV Networks, and Comedy Central. Mike helped launch the PAX-TV Network before moving on to the movie world with Jersey Films and to producing independent films (Dennis Hopper, Michael Madsen). He has cut everything from features, to pilots, to national advertising, to Network Upfront campaigns.

Nikolaus Kramer, Post Production Supervisor

After graduating from Chico State University’s Recording Arts program, Nikolaus began a career working as a videographer, editor and motion graphics designer. Nikolaus has worked in a wide range of environments including live events, recording studios, online entertainment, travel destination videos and video marketing solutions.

Kylie-Hamilton-Hill is Director of Sales, East Coast

Kylie is a media professional with over 15 years of experience working at large publishers such as Bonnier Corporation and Trusted Media Brands. She is a graduate from Iona College with a degree in Mass Communications/ Broadcasting. As a military “brat”, she spent her early childhood living on bases across the U.S.

Katherine Torres-Pummill, Director of Sales, West Coast

Katherine is a media professional with experience at large media brands such as People Magazine, CBS, and The Associated Press. She graduated from The New School with a master’s degree in Media Management and is married to an Air Force veteran.

Donna Callaway, Production Coordinator and On-Air Talent

Donna is a Marine Corps veteran whose career spans acting, dancing, hosting, production and casting. She has been a spokesperson for several global brands including Subaru, Chevrolet, and Cadillac, working primarily in experiential marketing and auto shows. She hosts This Day in Military History among other WATM video series. With a degree in psychology from the University of Florida, Donna is a passionate veteran advocate who created a nonprofit that supports suicide prevention among veterans and military personnel.

J. David Harden, Head of Creative Development and Board Member

David is a successful entrepreneur and screenwriter and is a partner at PLC Venture Capital. He has developed television in Hollywood and Asia for Warner Bros, Fox, HBO and others and recently led script development for mainland China’s first premium cable television series. He won the 2006 Sentinel Award from USC’s Annenberg School for his work on Numb3rs (CBS). He serves as a director of Luxe Holdings, LLC. and is on the board of Super League Gaming, Inc. He received his Bachelor of Arts with honors from Stanford, and Master of Arts with distinction from UCLA. His grandfather was an Air Force pilot in North Africa during World War II, and his father is a veteran of the Korean conflict.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Nancy Berglass

As a leader in the nonprofit and philanthropic fields, Nancy’s expertise and leadership at the crossroads of philanthropy and community have resulted in some of our nation’s most effective and innovative initiatives for social impact, including her leadership in developing the field of veteran-support philanthropy. As Principal of Berglass Community Investment Consulting, Nancy has worked with an impressive array of donors, grant-making institutions, government agencies, businesses and nonprofit organizations to find effective solutions to the challenges they face.

Key among her achievements is the design and oversight of the groundbreaking $260 million Iraq Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund which earned her numerous accolades, including the Department of Defense’ Distinguished Civilian Humanitarian Award and an appointment as the inaugural Senior Fellow for the Military, Veterans and Society Program at the prestigious Center For A New American Security. Author of several important policy works addressing the challenges facing America’s veterans, Nancy also served as an advisor to the 2008 Presidential Transition Team and the White House’s Joining Forces Initiative. She was awarded the University of California Distinguished Social Sciences Alumni Award, the National Council on Foundations Award for Critical Impact in Grant Making and serves as a Kellogg National Leadership Fellow.

Admiral Mike Mullen

Admiral Mike Mullen, one of the most influential Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, takes a fresh approach to the most important geopolitical issues of the 21st century. He is a broad-minded, intellectually curious leader, widely recognized as an “honest broker” during his tenure as the top military advisor to Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He brought bold and original thinking to the work of strengthening the U.S. military and advocating for those who serve.

Admiral Mullen oversaw the end of the combat mission in Iraq and the development of a new military strategy for Afghanistan while promoting international partnerships, new technologies and new counterterrorism tactics culminating in the killing of Osama bin Laden. He is also renowned for his role in dismantling “don’t ask, don’t tell” and allowing gay service members to serve openly.

A 1968 graduate from the United States Naval Academy, Mullen sought high-risk positions to develop his leadership skills. He was the Chief of Naval Operations prior to assuming duties as Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff. In an in-depth feature article, FAST COMPANY called Mullen “not just a new model for military officers-and a new kind of business titan-but also a case study in 21st -century leadership.”

Since retiring from the Navy, Mullen serves on the boards of General Motors, Sprint, and the Bloomberg Family Foundation, and teaches at the Wilson School at Princeton. He is known for his honesty and candor, and for his efforts on behalf of service members, veterans, and their families. Today he shares his experience in leading change in complex organizations, his assessment of geopolitical relationships and his dedication to service.

J. David Harden

(see bio above)

Cliff Sobel

Ambassador Clifford Sobel has a diverse career in both the public and private sectors. He served as U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands and Brazil under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He serves on the boards of several companies, non-profit and public policy organizations. He has been recognized for his numerous contributions to U.S. bilateral relations as well as his business, community and philanthropic service.

Cliff’s service as United States Ambassador to Brazil from 2006 to 2009 expanded the U.S.’ partnerships with Brazil’s government, business and NGO communities. He headed environmental, military and corporate social responsibility initiatives which strengthened the country’s law enforcement. As Ambassador to the Netherlands from 2001 to 2005, he worked on the first joint European-American conference on 21st century innovation, negotiated a cooperative HIV/AIDS program in Africa, and assisted in implementing the Trade and Travel Security Program.

Today Ambassador Sobel is Managing Partner of Valor Capital Group and serves on several Boards including the Lexington Institute and Business Executives for National Security and is a member of the Council of Foreign Relations. By Presidential appointment, he sits on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council and The Naval Postgraduate School Board.